Life has been unusual for me over recent weeks, in that something strange and totally unexpected has occurred. As you are reading this BLOG, you will be aware that I post here each week, as has been the pattern for nearly a whole year now. I have been attempting to increase the readership, so that more people can benefit from what is written, but the growth has been slow until now.
Opportunity
Quite suddenly, there began to be a dramatic increase in the number of Facebook friend requests that I received: 40 one day, 60 the next, and then more than a hundred each day after that. Believing that this is from God, I have sought to handle these accordingly, taking the opportunity to introduce these new contacts to the Asked Questions BLOG in my responses to them; the readership has steadily increased as a result. Due to the extreme volume, I also needed to mention my lack of capacity to respond to any further contact. That said, I have been humbled by many of the messages that I have received, as well as before the Lord, both for the opportunity that he has provided, and for having contact with so many people from different parts of the world.
Explicit
It has been truly humbling to catch glimpses of ministries that are occurring in so many places, some in sophisticated cities, such as Lahore in Pakistan, and in remote regions in various countries, where many people live a basic and challenging existence. A good proportion of those who contact me describe themselves as pastors or evangelists. But the thing that I have noticed from these contacts (3,000 + in less than three weeks) is that many are quite explicit on their Facebook presence about their Christian faith. For some, this is through religious symbolism, or a Bible text, and for others, by how they are introduced on their page, describing themselves as a Christian, a servant of God, a follower of Jesus, etc. I wonder if for some this might reflect the local culture, but I think that for others, it is a bold and potentially courageous choice to make a stand for their faith.
Emboldened
Referring especially to those of us from Western countries, I want to suggest that maybe we need to be more explicit about where we stand, more ready to nail our colours to the mast, prepared to declare that the most important thing to tell others about ourselves is that we follow and serve Jesus. I appreciate that some people feel constrained on account of their professional standing, but aside from this, surely we need to be emboldened. Let’s not be shy about declaring (sensibly) who we are, where we stand and who we honour as first in our lives. See 1 Samuel 2:30; John 12:26
Shy
For me personally, this is relatively easy because I describe myself on social media as a Christian author and blogger, which is what I am. To others, for whom there is no such obvious and ‘reasonable’ banner under which to fly, it may be a matter of saying that you are a follower of Jesus, or even simply a Christian. Why is it that so many people, from challenging areas of the world, can be so bold and forthright, while those of us in the West are shy about demonstrating who we are and whose we are?
I sometimes wonder what might be said about me at my funeral, whenever that occurs. I have been to quite a number of such events, some for those who are known to have a real Christian faith, where faith is mentioned but isn’t necessarily prominent in their eulogy – I would hate for that to be the case for me.
Honouring
I want people to know that there is nothing more important in my life than my spiritual walk, and that everything that I have done derives from this. Jesus is my lord, and there are no two ways about that. Every decision that I make, and everything that I turn my hands to, is motivated by a desire to honour, serve and proclaim him. For some readers, that might sound overly religious, but surely this should be the situation for everyone who acknowledges that Jesus is lord in their lives. Let’s not be coy or reserved about nailing our colours to the mast. This isn’t about “me” or anything to do with pride or self-promotion; it is about honouring him whom every Christian claims to serve.
Answers
If we want others to know that they truly do need salvation, to have Jesus in their lives, then surely we should declare with boldness that he is in ours. Might this entail a cost? Yes, it very likely will, but what is the cost of not doing so? We need to be those who say “Yes, I am in” rather than stay on the sidelines with the hope that life won’t be as uncomfortable there. I recognise that making a clear stand may affect how we are seen by others and may cause some awkwardness. It must also be acknowledged that this entails a more direct challenge to ourselves personally. To start with, if we boldly proclaim who we are, then we need to be even more rigorous in ensuring that our lives reflect what we declare. But we also need to be equipped to give a response to those who may challenge us about our faith; those who are themselves looking for answers, as the apostle Peter wrote:
“But in your heart set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have …..” 1 Peter 3:15.
Gentleness
This verse ends with an injunction to “….do this with gentleness and respect.” This can be hard and demanding, but we should only talk to others about Jesus, and our own Christian walk, with the grace that he himself exhibited. There were times when he was assertive, especially when addressing Jewish rulers who were seeking to catch him out, but towards those with honest hearts, he was always sensitive and gentle. Surely we must be the same so that the message we proclaim is not compromised. See 2 Corinthians 6:3; 1 Timothy 6:1. This all points to a need for each of us to consider what our Christian faith is actually all about, so that we have our understanding straight and are equipped to communicate this with due clarity, rather than sloppy sentiment or vague theology.
Bolder
The heading for this article is: ‘What is the question?’. My question to you is, are you prepared to be bolder in acknowledging that you are a Christian? And, if so, how will you do that? It might be that you could start by reviewing how you describe yourself on social media. Maybe you need to be more ready to mention Jesus when chatting with friends or neighbours. Perhaps, when putting your views forward in general conversation, you need to explain what is the foundation from which these have been derived. Whatever you decide, I challenge you to be more open and explicit about Jesus being lord of your life. What is the question? – It is: Will you do that, and if so, how?
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